1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to digital cameras and more particularly to docked digital camera that becomes a user interface (UI) for a hosting device.
2. Description of Related Art
A digital camera records and stores photographic images in digital form that can be fed to a personal computer (PC) as the impressions are recorded or stored in the camera for later loading into the PC. Generally, a number of cables must be plugged into or unplugged from the camera when transferring photos from the camera to the PC, charging batteries located within the camera, or connecting an AC power source to the camera.
It is well-known to mount both conventional and digital cameras on a camera tripod and/or other similar well-known camera mount. Conventional camera mounts include a threaded screw on a mounting surface. Conventional and digital cameras include an industry standard threaded mounting hole located on a bottom surface of the camera. The threads of the mounting hole match the threads of the screw on the mounting surface of the camera mount.
Digital cameras may also include a liquid crystal display (LCD) built into the camera that conveys information to a user with respect to the operation of the camera, such as how many more images are capable of being taken and stored by the camera. Other digital cameras include an LCD built into the back of the camera capable of displaying, in color, the images recorded and stored in the camera. The LCD screen may also be used as a viewfinder and allows a user to see what a picture will look like before it is taken. The LCD also allows a user to look at photos already taken and stored within the camera.
Digital cameras use solid-state memory flash cards to store images. These flash cards are typically nonremovable memory chips embedded within the camera. More commonly, digital cameras store photos on a removable card that is used to transfer files to the computer. These cards, which can range in size from 4 to 256 MB, come in two primary configurations—CompactFlash and SmartMedia. Additionally, some newer cameras accept the CompactFlash drives, which provides up to 1 GB of storage space for data. However, a card reader or adapter is required to read files into the PC which must be connected to the PC's small computer systems interface (SCSI) or USB (universal serial bus) port if a card slot is not built into the PC. Smart Media cards store a maximum of 64 megabytes, but they easily download on a reader that connects to the PC's floppy disk drive. Once the card is placed in the reader, the PC's transfer software is launched to transfer the photos from the camera. The camera is connected to the PC in order to transfer photos from the camera to the PC. Some digital cameras can output photos directly to a floppy disk or via cable to a PC.
Digital cameras consume a great deal of battery power. Many digital cameras can be plugged in for stationary use, and some run off external battery packs. When a digital camera is connected, or docked, to a PC, its color display is generally turned off and unusable. When a digital camera is un-docked, its LCD display consumes too much power to be left on for any length of time. When the digital camera is in use, it is suggested that the camera's LCD display be turned off to conserve battery power for taking and storing photo images.
Once images are transferred from the digital camera to the PC, they may be printed into a hard copy using a color printer. The software for the camera allows the images to be viewed on the PC. Images may be saved to a floppy disk or the hard drive. Images can be saved in a specific graphic file format, e.g., gif or jpg for Web publishing, pcx or bmp for paper publishing. A graphics program, such as Paint Shop Pro, may be used to edit the images. Once loaded into the PC, the images may be transferred or “burned” to a Compact Disk (CD) using a CD Writer.
However, many steps are involved in transferring images from a digital camera to the PC. This process is further complicated by the fact that in order to print the images or transfer the images to a CD, the images must first be transferred to a PC. In order to transfer images from the digital camera to the PC, it is necessary to hook the camera up to the PC using various cables. If digital photos are taken using a tripod or other mounting surface, it is first necessary to detach the camera from the surface in order to connect the camera to cables from the PC. This is a time-consuming and inefficient process. Additionally, as stated above, the LCD of a digital camera is a heavy drain on the camera's batteries. If a user wishes to use the LCD of the digital camera while the camera is in use, the drain on the batteries limits the number of photos the camera may take during use. Also, if a user is taking digital photos using a tripod or other camera mount, the user may be in a location away from the user's PC. Even if a user were to download digital photos to a portable notebook computer, the user must still disconnect the digital camera from the camera mount to connect the camera to the notebook computer.
In information technology, a user interface (UI) is everything designed into an information device with which a human being may interact—including display screen, keyboard, mouse, light pen, the appearance of a desktop, illuminated characters, help messages, and how an application program or a Web site invites interaction and responds to it. Devices attached to a PC or notebook (for example, Printers or CD Writers) tend to have very limited UIs which may include an online/offline button or a graphical message on an LCD (for example, a “paper jam” or “out of paper” message). These attached devices primarily depend on the UI of a PC or notebook computer for instructions with respect to which operation to execute (for example, print an image or copy a particular image to a CD). The attempt to print images taken by a digital camera, or transfer images from the digital camera to a CD via CD-writer, results in a tangle of cables and devices where, at a minimum, the digital camera must be connected to the PC which is itself connected to the Photoprinter, CD-writer or similar device that uses images taken by the digital camera. A need exists for a simplified method of downloading and using images taken by a digital camera.